First World War History Competition for Secondary Schools

There will be a winner and a runner-up for each of the three categories. Members from the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Ireland, from the Centre for War Studies of the University College Dublin, from the History Teachers’ Association of Ireland, and from the National Library of Ireland will nominate the laureates.

The 2019 First World War History Competition for Secondary School welcomes proposals from individuals or groups of individuals wishing to submit a research project in one of the three categories selected for the Competition.

Essay Prize

A 3,000-word essay on a chosen topic related to the homecoming of Irish troops to Ireland. Photographs, images, maps and other materials are welcomed. Sources must clearly be identified and a bibliography must appear at the end of the essay.

French Essay Prize

A 1,500-word essay on a chosen topic written in French related to the homecoming of French troops to France. Photographs, images, maps and other materials are welcomed. Sources must clearly be identified and a bibliography must appear at the end of the essay.

Creative Project Prize

A piece of creative work. This special category aims to give pupils the opportunity to creatively address a topic. The project can be a two-minute documentary, a 200-word poem, a c omic of no more than four A4 pages, a two-minute sound recording or an A1 drawing. Each group must include a 500-word review on the project. Schools must take inspiration from the National Library exhibition “World War Ireland: Exploring the Irish Experience” and are encouraged to research topics local to their area and to engage with local archives and libraries. Projects must show an understanding of the war and its impact on French and/or Irish society. Interdisciplinary projects are strongly encouraged and may adopt a comparative perspective.

Below is a list of possible subjects for the Competition. Each project must clearly refer to one topic.

- World War One commemorations
- World War One memorials
- Veterans’ Associations
- The homecoming of the disabled
- The homecoming of the disfigured
- Artists and the memory of the conflict
- Trauma and war neuroses

Essays and projects must be submitted by March 1st 2019 to Emmanuel Destenay (Irish Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow) at the following address: emmanuel.destenay@ucd.ie Please complete the following template and use it as front-page.

Participant Categories

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Year pupils from the Republic of Ireland and Years 12, 13, 14 for pupils from Northern Ireland. Terms and Conditions for Entering the Competition

- There is no entry fee
- Any pupil resident on the island of Ireland is eligible
- To enter you must be attending a secondary school
- If several individuals wish to enter the competition, groups must not comprise more than four pupils
- A school may enter the competition in all three categories
- For entries to be valid, the form must be completed, signed and sent to arrive no later than March 1st 2019
- The laureates will receive their awards at the end of the Conference “Post-War Transitions in Europe: Politics, States and Veterans (1918-1923)” organised at University College Dublin on March 30th 2019
- For further information about the competition, please contact: emmanuel.destenay@ucd.ie

Winners and Awards

There will be a winner and a runner-up for each of the three categories. Members from the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Ireland, from the Centre for War Studies of the University College Dublin, from the History Teachers’ Association of Ireland, and from the National Library of Ireland will nominate the laureates.